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ORANGE A couple who removed their front lawn to save water, the environment and money have earned the ire of city officials – who are taking the couple to Superior Court over the lack of green on the yard.

Quan Ha said his dispute with city officials dates back to 2008, when Ha and his wife, Angelina, decided to remove all of the grass from in front of their Orange home.

Angelina Ha said she and her husband then spent $1,600 to build an ornate fence and plant some drought-tolerant plants.

Winthers said the goal of taking the Ha family to court is to get them to come into compliance with city law. The maximum penalty, if the Ha family is found guilty of a misdemeanor, is up to six months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.

“We’re not looking to send anyone to prison, we want compliance,” Winthers said. “This is a last-resort type of thing, because we’ve worked with these people for a long time.”